Glass melting furnace



May 2, 1933o LUI- K1N 1,906,695

GLASS MELTING FURNACE Filed Nov. 26, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 2, 1933- G. LUFKIN 1,906,695

GLASS MELTING FURNACE I Filed Nov. 26, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 2, 1933 UNIT A lication filed 'ovemlier 26, 1930. Serial No. 498,@653..

My invention relates to furnaces of the continuous type for melting and refining glass. ln furnaces of this type in use pres ent time, the full area of the melting 'surface is not utilized to the best advantage because there is no provision for adequately controlling the flow of glass across the entire width of the furnace. The glass is also subjected to convection currents which tend to keep the incompletely melted ingredients of the glass batch submerged below: the surface for a large part of the time they are Within the melting compartment. Asa result, a comparatively long melting period and large amo-unt of fuel are required.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction which will be free from the objections above indicated. 'lo this end the invention contemplates the use of a fur -0 nace having provision for feeding the batch or raw materials into thev melting compartment at a plurality of points so spaced along the end Wall of the furnace or otherwise arranged that an even distribution of the bat-ch may be provided across the entire end of the furnace.

My invention also provides means Where,- by such even distribution of the glass across the furnace may be maintained during its sagethrough the melting compartment to tne usual refining compartment. For this purpose, a plurality of spouts may be provided at intervals along the bridge Wall which arates the melting and refining compart through which spoutsl a surface flow glass is maintained. Controlling def dividual to the spouts are adjustable fulate and contro-l the iiow. 'lhis arpermits a surface ilovv of glass is substantially uniform Aacross the ei t.re Width of the tank, so that the glass is subiected to the maximum temperature during its travel through the melting compartient.

5 The invention further contemplates the use of a comparatively shallow melting compartment, whereby to minimize the effect of convection currents Which tend to submerge the glass during its passage through the tanlr, the

5@ bottom blocks or ioor of the tanlr being close enough to ,the surface to set up frictional resistance to convection flow and'to provide a comparatively viscous layer of colder glass near the surface.

@ther objects of the invention Will appear hereinafter. y

ln the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a furnace constructed in accordance with my invention, the section being taken at the line ll-l on Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan vieW at the line ll-ll on Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation through the refining compartment, the section being taken at the line lll-:lll on Fig. l.

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional View illus trating particularly an adjustable plug and cooling means therefor.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view l0 showing a modification of the charging end of the melting tank.

The furnace as herein shown is of the continuously melting type and comprises a tank including a melting compartment 5 and a re- 75 fining compartment 6, said compartments being separated by a bridge Wall 7. ylhe floor 8 of the melting compartment is preferably at a higher level than the floor 9 of the refining compartment, for purposes elsewhere point- 3G ed out. rllhe batch of raw materials is fed into the furnacefthrough openings 10 in the end Wall l1, by means of batch feeders. Each feeder comprises a cylindrical feed chamber j l2 in which is a spiral propeller blade 13 which may be rotated continuously or intermittently for forcing the batch 14 into the furnace. The speed of each feeder blade is adjustable, whereby the rate at which the materials are fed by the several feeders is sclectively adjustable. rllhe batch is supplied to 'the feed chamber l2 through a spout 15 provided vvith 'valve lo for cutting off or regulating the feed.

The feeders are arranged at intervals along the end Wall., a sucient number of feeders being used to provide a practically uniform distribution of the batch across the entire end of the furnace.

Burners 17 operate in the usual manner to l (lll supply fuel gases for mixture with the heated air supplied through the channels 18 to ports in the side walls of the melting tank, the burning gases being thereby spread for melting the batch.

The bridge Wall 7 is provided with a series of troughs or passageways 20 in its upper surface, through which the glass flows from the melting chamber into the refining compartment. These troughs are arranged at intervals throughout the length of the bridge wall so that an even surface flow is obtained which extends across the entire furnace. In order that the rate of flow through each trough may be individually controlled, a controlling device ,or plug is provided for each trough. This controlling device (see Fig. 4) comprises a body 2l of refractory material and a tubular stem 22, which may be made of metal, embedded therein. The stem 22 extends upward through an opening in the roof 23 of the furnace and is provided with external screw threads to receive a correspondingly threaded adjusting' wheel 24 which rests on a bracket 25 bolted to the roof 23. By rotating the hand wheel 24, the plug may be adjusted up and down in the trough 2O to adjustably vary the flow of glass therethrough. The plug 2l is designed to permit the circulation of a cooling medium, such as air or water, therethrough. y

The means for circulating water through the plugs, as shown, comprises a supply pipe 2G, with branch pipes 27 extending down- Ward therefrom into the interior of the hollow stems 22. rlhe Water after circulating through the plugs is drawn off through pipes 28 which extend from the stems 22 near the upper ends thereof to a waste pipe 29. Valves 30 are provided in the pipes 27 for individually regulating or cutting ofil the flow to the several plugs.

The glass in the refining compartment may be Withdrawn for use in any approved manner. As shown, a trough 3l is provided at each end of the refining chamber. The glass may flew through these troughs into revolving pots 32. The rate of flow through each trough 3l is regulated by a vertically adjustable plug 33.

It Will be observed that the level of the glass in the melting compartment is higher than that in the refining compartment, so that a surface flow of glass can be maintained. This arrangement, in combination with the adjustable plugs 21, permits the rate of flow through each trough to be accurately controlled, so that a surface flow in the melt-ing compartment may be maintained and regulated in a manner which would not be possible with the usual submerged passageway at or near the floor level of the tank. It will also be observed that the floor of the melting tank being at a higher level than that of the refining tank, the glass in the meltneoaees ing tank is comparatively shallow. This arrangement reduces the tendency of the partially melted glass to be submerged by convection currents, because the floor of the furnace is near enough the surface of the glass to offer a substantial frictional resistance to the convection flow of glass, and also provides cooler and more viscous glass comparatively near the surface, which-further obstructs such convection flow. As 'a result, the glass ingredients may be kept within the effective heating zone of the burners so that the amount of fuel and length of time required to melt the glass are reduced to a minimum.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modified construction in which batch feeders 12l are positioned at opposite sides of the furnace and feed the batch of raw materials through openings in the side walls of the furnace closely adjacent to the end wall 1l. The materials are fed into the furnace with suflicient pressure to cause a substantially uniform distribution of the materials entirely across the furnace adjacent the end wall l1.

Modifications may be resorted to Within the spirit and scope of my invention.

lVhat I claim is:

l. The combination of a glass melting tank, a plurality ofbatch feeders arranged at short intervals along an end wall of the tank at points above the normal level of the gass in the tank, and means at the opposite end of the tank for causing a surface fiow of the glass therefrom, said means arranged to provide an even distribution of the flow along the discharge end of the tank.

2. A glass furnace comprising a tank, a bridge wall rising from the floor of the tank and separating it into a melting compartment and a refining compartment, said bridge Wall extending across the furnace, and means for causing a surface flow of glass from the melting compartment to the refining compartment across said bridge Wall and distributing the flow along the 4bridge wall to cause a substantially uniform surface flow throughout the width of the tank.

3. A glass furnace comprising a melting compartment and a refining compartment, a bridge wall therebetween extendin across the furnace, means for causing a sur ace flow of glass from the melting compartment to the refining compartment across said bridge wall, means for distributing said surface flow along the bridge wall comprising open channels arranged at short intervals alongl the upper surface of the bridge Wall, and oo ntrolling devices individual to said channels and individually adjustable toregulate and control the flow of glass through the chan` nels.

4. A glass furnace comprising a melting compartment, a refining compartment, and a bridge wall extending across the furnace bevcooperating with the bridge wail to tween said compartments, said bridge wall formed with a plurality of channels at short intervals lengthwise thereof through which the glass flows from the melting to the rening compartment, said channels having their ioors above the level of the floors of the melting and refining compartments, the channels being positioned and arranged to cause a surface flow of glass therethrougha 5. A glass furnace comprising a melting compartment, a rening compartment, and a bridge wall extending across the furnace between said compartments, the door of said bridge wall being above the level of the floors of the melting and refining compartments, the bridge Wall being formed with troughs or channels at short intervals along the upper surface portion thereof in position to permit a surface tlow of glass irons the incl 'to the reiining compartment and to distr" te said surface dow substantially unii3 un y across the Width or" the urnace` 6. A glass lr"urnace comprising s url compartment, a rening compartme-- a bridge wall extending across e furnace ce'- tween said compartments, so 'formed With a pluralitjg/v oiE upper surface at short in.:`J thereof through which the the melting to the refining comp dow regulating devices ind`viduc channels and individually odjusfe justablvv regulate the flow t i channel.

7. glass furnace comprisin0 tank and a rening compartine wall between said tank and comp series ot automatic bat-ch 'feeders along the end wall ot the melt-nig the normal level of the glass the tan a series of troughs at intervals along the upper surface of the bridge wall with their doors above the floor of the tanlr, said feeders and troughs being arranged to permit u sul"- ace iiow of glass from the hatch eeders to the bridge wall and over said wall int-o refining compartment.

8. ln combination, a glass furnace com prising a melting compartment, a relining compartment and a bridge Wall extending across the Jiurnace between said comparta ments, means for introducing raw materials into the melting compartment and distributing them substantially uniformly along the end. or the melting compartment opposite said bridge wall prior to melting, and means c Uli. Vla D oi a 'flow or" glass from the meltin" to ne routing" s flow substantially unirorinly throughout ne nient' and a. refining cour:i

wall rising from the :door i rising nom `the 'door of the tank and eX` tending across the tanlr from one side thereot to the other, means for feeding batch into the 'tank at the receiving end thereof and causing a uniform distribution of the batch throughout the length of said end, and means for causing surface tlow of glass over he bridge wall und distributing said flow along the bridge u il so there is an approximately nnirorin sur' ace tlow or movement of the glass over the entire area of the tant:

seid receiving end to the bridge wall. ll. :l 'iur 'L- lr oi substantially equal ts length,a bridge Wall ico; of the tanlr and er;-

u uniform dist; ibution ot the throughout the of said end, and means 'for causing a su-A race idovv of glass over the bridge well und distributing said Slow along "'dge :voll so t ttliere is an approni uniform s ace low or movement e glass over e entire area ot the tank from seid receiving end to the bridge wall, sai-d last mentioned means including adjustdevices arranged at short intervals along e brides Wall individuallyy adjustable control the rate of dow. Signed Toledo, Uhio, this 21st ot h ovemher, i930.,

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